


The Magic of Nostalgia

by SleepyWoofles



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Widogast's wondrous dome of memories, okay okay okay actual tags, started writing this as soon as it happened i'm just very late to posting--, thank you mr liam for the emotions, that's what the spell's called right like we all agreed to that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25775698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepyWoofles/pseuds/SleepyWoofles
Summary: my take on Caleb's programmed illusion
Relationships: The Mighty Nein & The Mighty Nein
Kudos: 24





	The Magic of Nostalgia

Caleb sits on the edge of the beach, a few jungle lightning bugs twinkling just outside. He sees Jester trying to catch a few, and makes sure to keep the image in mind as he twists and shapes the arcane energy at his fingertips. New spells were always exciting, but this one was especially so for him. He smiles as it finishes, and sees Veth’s face light up— both from joy and the faint glow of the illusion.

The dome’s light is accompanied by soft, candlelight-like versions of the Mighty Nein. Caleb sees a few versions of himself float past within the walls of the dome, some with others walking beside him, others by himself. He sees versions of the rest of the Nein, too, though more of those are shadowed or silhouetted as he was forced to guess to fill in gaps he wasn’t present to witness. 

He sees a colorful tiefling walk up to a group of five and hold something up, with a tall aasimar only a few steps behind. He sees another tiefling, shorter but visibly stronger, standing on the side of a ship with a half-orc, both looking out at little glowing jellyfish. He sees a firbolg in a dying forest, gently covering a wound which covers itself in moss, and is gone not but a few seconds later.

Caleb sees all kinds of moments pulled from his memory, he silently thanks whatever being in the universe gifted him with his keen mind. He fixes a few of the illusions as they float past. 

Veth smiles at him, and he smiles back. A little blue tiefling runs between them and kneels over someone unmoving, above the two illusory people is a more shadowed figure— a guess, really, as Caleb hasn’t ever seen the Wildmother himself. 

He calls the others into the dome, and listens to their requests for the illusions. He gets more confident with each one, watching little versions of each of them start to look more and more like shrunken versions of themselves rather than colorful silhouettes. 

Vilya asks if he can show her people, he tries the best he can, though they admittedly look shadowed and unclear. She smiles regardless, leaving the dome for a few minutes as the rest of them get ready for bed.

Eventually all of them, including Vilya, are comfortable and settled down to go to sleep. Caleb floats a few of the illusions around, making sure to put those who have family near the slightly spectral versions of those they’re close to. Sooner or later, with all of them using each other as pillows and arm rests, the Mighty Nein fall asleep with memories drifting around their heads.


End file.
